Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-04-29


Jet is shining black substance which
Is found In seams dlssociated from other
black minerals, and not In the coal re-
gions Of England, but In others, notably
near whitby, In Yorkshire. It occurs
also in Saxony and In the amber districts
Of the Prussian shores Of the Baltic.
The scientists maintain that Il 10 q vari-
ETY. of coal, bet the whitby folks adduce
many circumstances that 60 to prove
that it must have been at some time Ia
gummy or semi.liquid state quite unlike
coal from ligneous sources. Bits Of veg.
eiable substances are often found imbcd.
ded In II, also flies Wings and other
small articles, which favor the whitby
theory.
The stratum called jet rock Is found
mostly at whitby, In a sort Of shale,
which, when distilled, yields ten gal.
Ions OF oil to ton. The nature OF the
connection between this oil and jet can
not now be- determined. though some
connection evidently existed In psst
times. There Is hard jet anc soft Jet.
the former being the best. IL occurs In
detached pieces, ranging In size from =
domino up to chose many pounds Ia
weight. The largest piece ever found
was six feet long. hve inches thick. The
British Museum refused TO give ten
guineas for IL, but a dealer paid hfteen
for il aud cut IL up into crosses OF unus'
ual size. How long jet, or black amber,
as Il was formerly called, has been
worked at Whilby Is not known, but
certainly for many centuries.
In n tumulus or barrow near the
town, the skeleton Of u lady was found,
supposed to belong TO the ancient Brit
ish days, before the date Of the Danish
invasions, aud with it were esr.rings Of
jet two inches long by a quarter OF an
inch thick. They were heart shape1,
with II hole In the upper part OF the wire.
Jet possesses considerable electric quail.
ties like amber. Ii was made into beads
aud rosaries In the middle ages by the
monks. As u trade it had not much
activity till the beginning OF the pres
ent century. The Spaniards made bends
and rosaries OF the soit kind Of Jet, and
when the English ladies began TO wear
It In mourning the whltby Industry be-
gan to flourish. At hrst the workers
used only knives and files, but Matthew
Hill discovered method of turning this
brittle substance In lathe. The largest
find ever made was 40 years ago, at
North Bats, n spot In the neighborheod
Of Whitby, and consisted OF $40 pieces
Of stones, valued at tl,260. Tho jet 10
picked up OH the shore, at the foot Of
the cliffs, but this 10 OF On inferior qusl.
ity. A dangerous mode OF obtaining IL
Is TO cut down the face of the cli6, until
a jet seam is reached. IL 10 also tannel-
cd for twenty miles In the land, near
Bilsdale, In the Cleveland hills. The
men rent the workings, as 10 the copper
and lin mines Of Cornwall, and they
may work q month without coming
across Bit Of the precious stuG. The
prices for the best hard JET 10 thrss shIl.
lings pound; for the soft, one shilling.
The whilby variety Is the finest known,
as It is tougher and admits Of higher
polish. Many articles sold IN the shops
as whitby Jet are derived from the Pyr.
enees, and are Liable 10 break through
sudden heat or cold, which IL due TO =
slight per cent. Of sulphur In the Span
ish variety PHILADELPHIA Cal.